1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to billing and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems and methods of delayed billing for on-demand products.
2. History of Related Art
Numerous computer systems exist that provide on-demand products to consumers. For purposes of this patent application, an on-demand product is a product that is requested by a consumer and is intended by a provider to be delivered in real-time or in near real-time. On-demand products are generally requested electronically over a communications network such as, for example, public or private intranets, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular network, the Internet, or the like. Examples of on-demand products include content such as, for example, text, graphics, photos, video, audio, code, software applications, documents, access to cloud applications, and the like. On-demand products can also include content streaming, for example, of video, audio, and the like. By way of further example, on-demand products may include services such as, for example, identity-monitoring services. In general, on-demand products are not, inter alia, physically shipped or delivered. Rather, on-demand products are typically delivered electronically over a communications network or by initiating a requested service.
Traditionally, systems that provide on-demand products bill for the on-demand product soon after a consumer has made a binding request for the on-demand product, for example, by requesting or enrolling for the on-demand product and providing payment information. When various complexities cause the on-demand product to not be delivered, a consumer is usually still charged for the on-demand product. As consumer-protection laws and regulations proliferate worldwide, such billing practices can carry significant risk.